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THE DIVINE DECREE The decrees of God are His eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurity. The several contents of this one eternal purpose, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore called Decrees. The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, comprehending a plan including all His works of all kinds, great and small, from the beginning of creation to an unending eternity; ends as well as means, causes as well as effects, conditions and instrumentalities as well as the events which depend upon them, must be incomprehensible by the finite intellect of man. The decrees are eternal (Acts 15: 18; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13), unchangeable (Psalms 33:11; Isaiah 46:9), and comprehend all things that come to pass (Ephesians 1:11; Matthew 10:29, 30; Ephesians 2:10; Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28; Psalm 17:13, 14). The decrees of God are: Efficacious, as they respect those events He has determined to bring about by His own immediate agency; or Permissive, as they respect those events He has determined that free agents shall be permitted by Him to effect. This doctrine ought to produce in our minds "humility, in view of the infinite greatness and sovereignty of God, and of the dependence of man; confidence and implicit reliance upon wisdom, righteousness, goodness, and immutability of God's purpose. God's decree is a theological term for the comprehensive plan for the world and its history, which the sovereignty of God established in eternity. Paul refers to "the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with His will (Ephesians 1:11). The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. The decree of God is His eternal and immutable will related to the future existence of events, which will happen in time and regarding the precise order and manner of their occurrence. Under the divine decree, the will of God refers to God’s decision, which He has made in the eternity past from His attribute of sovereignty, which established that certain things would actually come into being while other things would not. This is His sovereign choice as to what will take place in time. Nothing can exist apart from His decision to make it exist. Many things that occur are results of angelic or human free will acting contrary to God’s desires. God nevertheless decided or willed that these things would take place. Thus He makes our volition truly free. Divine decree has rendered all things as certain to occur, He decided that they would exist. Because God decreed that we would have free will, He also decreed that all of our decisions-whatever they might be, would certainly take place even those contrary to His desires. The divine decrees are the eternal plan of God by which God has rendered certain all of the events of the universe both human and angelic history. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE PURPOSE OF THE DIVINE DECREE God knows everything that is knowable and there is nothing that He needs to know- He knew ahead of time precisely what would exist but He also decreed the exact manner, consistent with His integrity, in which He would handle our decisions. God knew exactly every decisions we are to make during our entire lifespan-He knew every error and bad decisions but He will never intervene with our decisions whether bad or good. The divine decree is the chosen and adopted plan of all God’s works it is God’s eternal purpose, according to the counsels of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatever comes to pass. There are no points of similarity between God's decree and the decrees of human rulers, but there are important differences that are distinct. We have to distinguish God's will of decree from the will of precept; a closer parallel exists between God's will of precept and human decrees. THE WILL OF PRECEPTS refers to the commands and laws that God sets for his creatures, commands which call for obedience but which are often transgressed. THE WILL OF DECREE, on the other hand, refers to the eternal, perfect, all-comprehensive, unchangeable, and efficacious plan of God, which is carried out in history. The decree of God is the sovereign choice of the divine will (God’s sovereignty) and mentality (God’s omniscience) by which all things are brought into being and controlled-made subject to His pleasure and producing His glorification (Isaiah 46:10). The Trinity pre-existed everything and every creature. No one is above God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. No one originated God for God has no origin. HUMAN DECREES (like those of Darius's order to worship the image (Daniel 6:7-12), Cyprus's command to rebuild the temple (Ezra 5:13), and Caesar's decree for a census (Luke 2:1; Acts 17:7) are not similar to divine decrees. "Decree" (dogma) is also used for the decisions of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 16:4) as well as for various Jewish legal regulations, ordinances, or rules (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14-15). Similar terms are used for God's decree against the king of Babylon (Daniel 4:24), for His decree concerning rain and the sea (Job 28:26; Proverbs 8:29), and for His laws governing human life (Psalms 119:5, 8, 12). There are also instances where God's decree refers to His regulations issued in history (Exodus 15:25; Romans 1:32). Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish a decree that is the historical revelation, which is part of God's eternal plan from a regulation or order of God's in history that does not specifically refer to the eternal decree (see Psalm 2:7). The discussion of God's decree is generally restricted to the eternal plan established before the creation of the world. In contrast to every human ruler, God has always existed. He existed before He created the world, and His decree or eternal plan was established before the creation. by J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE DIVINE DECREE AND NEGATIVE VOLITION The elect were chosen "before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; I Peter 1:20; 2 Timothy 1:9; I Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:11). We are not chosen based on our righteousness because God chose us before we were born. The relation of eternity and time, of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, makes human understanding of God's eternal decree very difficult. Several important distinctions are helpful. The decree is not eternal in exactly the same sense that God is eternal. God created and designed the divine decree in relationship to angels and human beings. The decree results from the free, sovereign will of God; it must be distinguished therefore from the necessary acts of God within the divine Trinity. The decree of God must also be distinguished from its execution in history. The decree to create is not the actual creation of the world "in the beginning" (Genesis 1:1). The decree to send Jesus Christ is not carried out until Jesus was born of Mary in the days of Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-7). When human agents are used in carrying out God's decree. Some decreed events occur by God's direct agency, as creation, regeneration, and the first and second comings of Jesus Christ. Other decreed events are carried out in history through human agency; sometimes they occur through obedient human agents who live according to God's law, the will of precept. Sometimes the decree is fulfilled through sinful, disobedient human action, as in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The complex issues involved in the relation of divine sovereignty and human responsibility or irresponsibility in carrying out the eternal decree becomes clearer when one examines scriptural references to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The eternal, divine decree clearly lies behind the cross of Christ. Before His death Jesus indicated that "the Son of man will go as it has been decreed" (Luke 22:22), and Peter told his Pentecost audience that Jesus of Nazareth "was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23). The crucifixion was the most heinous crime of human history; the crucifiers transgressed God's commandments, his will of precept [Acts 4:27-28]. The above-mentioned text also refers to the sin of those taking part in the crucifixion: Judas, Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and Israel. The crucifixion was part of God's eternal decree, and sinful human action was involved; but the guilt of such action is not minimized even when it functions as means to effectuate God's decree. Reflection on this crucial event of redemptive history is helpful since so many of the complex issues involved in understanding the relations of God's decree and human history are involved. Scriptural references to God's decree are generally set forth in concrete relation to historical situations for the purpose of promoting comfort, security, assurance, and trust. The Lord foils the plans of the nations and thwarts the purposes of the peoples; but the plans of the Lord stands firm forever. by J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE DIVINE DECREE IS NOT A SECRET The purpose of God’s heart through all generations is clearly revealed (Psalms 33:10-11). Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). The decree of God is largely secret and unrevealed but only to the unbelievers and ignorant believers they have no awareness of God's decree. Biblical prophecy reveals key features of God's eternal plan. The first such prophesy was the promise of a Deliverer from the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), which runs throughout the entire Scripture. Isaiah frequently refers to God's decree and contrasts Yahweh with the idols; He makes "known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come," and His "purpose will stand" (Isaiah 14: 24-27) Some portion of God's decree, have not yet carried out in history but only revealed by prophecy, yet provides the basis for the Christian's hope for the second coming of Jesus Christ in glory, for the consummation of God's kingdom, and for life everlasting in the new heaven and the new earth. The divine decree is not inconsistent with human freedom and significant human history every individual is totally responsible for his own life because he alone creates his own history. Divine decree is not limited to foreknowledge of future events and God cannot compromise with human initiative and cooperation. The perfect foreknowledge of God is related and limited only to believers. Traditional objections to divine decree are:It is inconsistent with human free will or volition
The illustration of Christ’s crucifixion provides an answer to such objections. Failure to distinguish the will of decree and the complex ways of its execution, may lead to fatalistic or deterministic concepts of God's decree. Then humans are considered robots and history is viewed as a programmed computer. The importance of history is promoted, at least in part, by the secret, unrevealed nature of God's decree and His demand that our lives be governed by such revealed commands. Adam's fall and Christ's crucifixion were included in God's decree He did not force the outcome. Humans acted freely but irresponsibly; they did precisely what God commanded them not to do. The divine decree or God’s will for the believers are all written in the pages of the Scripture but the blind cannot find them. The teaching of the Bible is secret only for those without spiritual eyes (that provides spiritual capacity to see Christ in the pages of Scripture using the eyes of their souls) [Ephesians 1:17-18]. This is called spiritual perception it is more than illumination. Under the divine decree, the doctrine of illumination relates to that ministry of the Holy Spirit that helps the believer understand the truth of Scripture. In relation to the Bible, the divine revelation relates to the unveiling of truth from the Scriptures. by J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries DIVINE ELECTION Divine inspiration concerns the method by which the Holy Spirit superintended the writing of Scripture; and illumination refers to the ministry of the Spirit by which the meaning of Scripture is made clear to the believer. The unregenerate man cannot experience this illuminating ministry, for he is blinded to the truth of God (I Corinthians 2:14). The Lord promised His followers that when the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost He would lead them into the truth (John 16:13-16), and this includes understanding the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:9-10). However, such understanding is not without conditions. The believer must himself be maturing and in fellowship with the Lord to experience this full perception of truth, for carnality in his life will hinder the ministry of the Spirit (I Corinthians 3:1-3). He also would expect to benefit from the Spirit ministering through others who have the gift of teaching (Romans 12:6-7), and such ministry can be experienced orally or through the printed page or various other media of Bible doctrine. But ultimately it is the Spirit who is the direct connection between the mind of God as revealed in the Scriptures and the mind of the believer seeking to understand the Scriptures. The Scripture speaks of election of grace which refers to: The election of individuals to office or to honor and privilege like, Abraham, Jacob, Saul, David, Solomon, were all chosen by God for the positions they held; so also were the apostles. There is also an election of nations to special privileges, that is, the Hebrews or Israel [Deuteronomy 7:6, Romans9:4). The election of individuals to eternal life (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:2; John 13:18) the ground of this election to salvation is the good pleasure of God (Ephesians 1:5, 11; Matthew 11:25, 26; John 15:16, 19) not the good works of the individual. God claims the right to do so (Romans 9:16, 21). It is not conditioned on faith or repentance, but is of sovereign grace (Romans 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:3-6). All that pertain to salvation, the means (Ephesians 2:8) as well as the end, are of God (Acts 5:31; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 2:5, 10). Faith and repentance and all other graces are the exercises of a regenerated soul; and regeneration is God's work, a "new creature." Men are elected "to salvation," "to the adoption of sons," "to be holy and without blame before Him in love" (2 Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 4:4, 5; Ephesians 1:4). The ultimate end of election is the praise of God's grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12). The Scripture employs a very rich vocabulary to express several aspects of election. Five types of election call for distinction. First: The elections of angels (1 Timothy 5:21; 1 Corinthians 6:3; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) as elect servants of the Lord. Election to service is evident in God's sovereign choice of David as Israel's king (1 Samuel 16:7-12) and in Jesus' choosing of the disciples and apostles (Luke 6:13; John 6:70; 15:16; Acts 9:15; 15:7). The election of Abraham's descendants to form the theocratic nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:37; 7:6-7; 10:15; 1 Kings 3:8; Isaiah 44:1-2; 45:4; 65:9, 15, 22; Amos 3:2; Acts 13:17; Romans 9:1-5) by J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE DIVINE DECREE AND DIVINE ELECTION The election of Israel originated in God's sovereign choice, expressed His covenantal love, and served the goal of redemptive history culminating in Jesus Christ. The election of the Messiah is a fourth type of election. Isaiah referred to the servant of the Lord as "my chosen one" (42:1 Matthew 12:18). Of the Synoptic only Luke refers to Jesus as the Chosen One (9:35; 23:35). Peter echoes another Isaiah reference (28:16) in 1 Peter 1:20 and 2:4, 6. These references indicate the unique mediator-ship office of Christ and the Father's pleasure in Him. The election to salvation, with which the rest of this article is concerned, the most common NT reference to election is God's eternal election of certain persons to salvation in Jesus Christ. The subject is dealt with comprehensively in Ephesians 1:3-11 and Romans 8:28-11:36. The whole doctrine of election is summarized in Ephesians chapter one. Election unto salvation is then defined as the unchangeable purpose of God before the foundation of the world, out of the whole human race, which had fallen by its own fault out of its original integrity into sin and ruin. God has, according to the good pleasure of His will, out of mere grace, chosen in Christ to salvation a certain number of specific men, neither better nor more worthy than other, but with them involved in a common misery (1.7). God out of His most free, most just, blameless, and unchangeable good pleasure has decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have by their own fault plunged themselves, and not to give them saving faith and the grace of conversion and "finally to condemn and punish them eternally" NOT for their sins (1.15) but for rejecting His plan of grace. Predestination thus includes election and reprobation, and reprobation involves both a sovereign passing by (preterit ion) and a just condemnation. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries PRINCIPLES OF ELECTION Election is a sovereign, eternal decree of God. The elect have been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11). God chose us in Christ "before the creation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). God's sovereign decree is not arbitrary; "in love He predestined us... in accordance with His pleasure and will (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:29). The presupposition of God's eternal decree of election is that the human race is fallen; election involves God's gracious rescue plan. It is not based on human works or God's foreknowledge of works (Romans 9:11). The elect are chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight"; they are adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:4-7). Hence election leads to "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. The same perspective is evident in Romans, for those whom "God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son" (8:29). The presupposition is that they are fallen, and hence God's predestination includes calling, justification, and glorification. This presupposition, that the fallen race is the object of predestination. Election is "election in Christ"; election involves rescue from sin and guilt and receiving the gracious gifts of salvation. Election in Christ is evident in the words already quoted from Ephesians 1:4-5, 11, and Romans 8:29. Christ is not merely a subsequent means to effectuate a decree of election; election is in Christ and through Christ. God the Father decreed to give to Christ those who were to be saved, and effectually to call and draw them into His fellowship through His word and Spirit" (I.7). Thus God's election is in Christ, and Christ is both the foundation of election and the foundation of salvation. Election involves both the elect's salvation and the means to that end. This is already evident in the repeated references to election in Christ, but it is made even more specific. God chose the elect to be holy and blameless in His sight to be adopted as His sons. “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.” [Ephesians 1:4-9] For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified [Romans 8:29-39]. God chose the elect "to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Hence the preaching of the Gospel is indispensable in effecting God's election (Romans 10:14-17; Acts 18:9-11). The salvation of the elect has its decretive origin before time, is realized through means in history, and culminates in eternal glorification. God decreed to give them true faith in Him, to justify them, to sanctify them, and, after having powerfully kept them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them, for the demonstration of His mercy and the praise of the riches of His glorious grace" (I.7). This feature of election negates the objection that if one is elect, one will be saved regardless of whether or not one believes. It also excludes the objection that election leads to a libertine spirit; unbelief and careless living are inconsistent with the scriptural doctrine of election. Election is individual, personal, specific, and particular. Ephesians refers repeatedly to "us" and "we" in connection with election (1:4-5, 12). In Romans, Paul refers to "those" whom God foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified (8:29-30). Romans 9 indicate that personal election unto salvation was operative within the election of Israel. Paul states that "not all who are descended from Israel are Israel" (9:6, 8) and he shows that "God's purpose in election" distinguished between Isaac and Ishmael, between Jacob and Esau (9:7, 11-13). This is also the implication of the expressions in John 6:37-40; 10:14-16, 26-29; 17:2, 6, 9, and 24. Particularly, personal election leads to the believer's comfort and does not promote carelessness or false confidence. The ultimate goal of election is the glory and praise of God. Election to salvation involves personal privilege, blessing, security, and comfort for the elect. But Scripture makes clear that it is "to the praise of His glorious grace" that everything leads (Ephesians 1:6). The elect have been chosen and predestined "in order that we ... might be for the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:12). God's goal is "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Ephesians 1:10; I Peter 1:1; 2:9; Matthew 13:27-30; 24:31). J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD The sovereignty of God refers to His absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure (Daniel 4:25, 35; Romans 9:15-23; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 4:11). The sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that God is King, supreme ruler, and lawgiver of the entire universe. God "has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). As the "Most High," God is "sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes" (Daniel 4:17, 25, 34; 5:21; 7:14). Israel's King David acknowledges "the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor" of God "for everything in heaven and earth" is His (I Chronicles 29:11). This prayerful acknowledgment of God's sovereignty is echoed in the conclusion of the disciples’ prayer: "for yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever" (Matthew 6:13). God is indeed the "only Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of lords" (I Timothy 6:15; and Revelation 19:16). The sovereignty of God thus expresses the very nature of God as all-powerful and omnipotent, able to accomplish His good pleasure, carry out His decreed will, and keep His promises. Several divine names express God's sovereignty. He is called "God Most High" (Genesis 14:18-20), "God almighty" (17:1; Exodus 6:2), "Sovereign Lord" (Gen. 15:2), and "Lord God Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). "Sovereign Lord" or "Master" in Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; 2 Peter 2:1; Jude 4; and Revelation 6:10. God's sovereignty is expressed in the comprehensive plan or decree for human history; He "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will" (Ephesians 1:11). His sovereignty is exercised and displayed in history in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. The "Sovereign Lord" has "made the heavens and the earth" and "nothing is too hard" for Him (Jeremiah 32:17-23), indeed, "all things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27; 14:35; Luke 1:37). The sovereignty God upholds and governs the created world in His providence. He rules the destiny of men and nations (Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-28). Adam's fall occurred within the context of His arrangement (Genesis 2:16-17) as did Christ's crucifixion (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28) and all other events- His providential rule is all-comprehensive- "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things (Isaiah 45:7; Ephesians 1:11). The gracious work of redemption also manifests God's sovereignty. He promises, covenants, and works redemptive history. The Messiah is Himself "Mighty God" (Isaiah 9:6-7), "the Son of the Most High" whose "kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:33). J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries DIVINE DECREE AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD From the beginning of His public ministry to its end Jesus Christ's message concerns "the kingdom of God" (Mark 1:15; Acts 1:3). After the resurrection Christ claims "all authority in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18), and the ascended Christ is exalted "far above all rule and authority, power, and dominion" (Ephesians 1:19-21; Philippians 2:9-11; I Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 5:9-14). Hence the earliest Christian confession was simply: "Jesus is Lord" (Romans 10:9). The gospel itself displays God's sovereignty; it is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16), and "to those whom God has called" Christ is "the power of God" (I Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 1:18-22). The authority of Scripture is also an expression of the sovereignty of God since all Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). That is why "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35) and the very reason everything in it will be fulfilled and accomplished (Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:44). The "sovereignty" of God is one of the transmissible attributes; "sovereignty" expresses an inherent characteristic of God, and a distinction is sometimes made between "sovereign will" and "sovereign power." God's sovereign will and power are not arbitrary, despotic, or deterministic; His sovereignty is characterized by His justice and holiness as well as by His other attributes. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility are paradoxical and beyond human comprehension. Divine sovereignty and human sovereignty are certainly contradictory, but divine sovereignty and human responsibility are not. God uses human means in history to accomplish His purposes, yet such means do not involve coercion. God effectuates His will even through sinful, disobedient human actions (Genesis 45:5, 7-8; 50:19-20). The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, certainly the most heinous crime in history, occurred within the boundaries of "the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," for the crucifiers did what God's "power and will” had decided beforehand what should happen (John 19:11). The Christian who is being renewed in the image of God and progressing in sanctification should again exercise dominion over creation as God's vicegerent in promoting the kingdom of God in human history to the glory of the Sovereign Lord (Genesis 1:28). Volitional responsibility is the relation to a free moral agent has to a decision or act for which the agent is answerable, accountable, or personally responsible. The counterpart to responsibility is negative volition, which is the decision, or act is chargeable, attributable, or imputable to the agent. Assumed here in both cases are a law imposing an obligation and a sanction enforcing the obligation. A sanction is a promise of reward and the threat of punishment. The lawbreaker deserves the punishment, and the law keeper is entitled to the reward because of merit, or the right of payment. Responsibility and culpability, are particularly concerned with the extent to which a decision or act owes its origin to an agent's will guided by reason. Responsibility for a bad act is called guilt. There is no corresponding designation of responsibility for a good act. This is probably accounted for by the fact that responsibility is more often associated with acts of wrongdoing than right doing. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries VOLITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY A related concept is justice, the measure of merit. Justice stems from the idea of equality between two persons having some agreement, understanding, or contract between them. If one party fails to keep the agreement, then he or she upsets the equality, thereby owing compensation to the other party. The person keeping the agreement has something due him or her. Justice is served when the offending party pays the offended party whatever is deserved or merited, that is, whatever is considered to reestablish the state of equality. From the standpoint of the offended party the compensation merited is regarded as a reward. From the standpoint of the offending party the compensation that is owed is seen as a punishment. Moving beyond the limits of the simple contract situation into the broader context of moral responsibility in general, we find that punishment has several functions, since more than an individual is usually offended by an act of wrongdoing. That act may be a crime against the group or the state. It may also be a sin against God. Retributive punishment serves the offended person by getting back at the offender and restoring the balance which justice demands. Corrective or rehabilitative punishment serves the offender by bringing him or her back to the place of equality with the rest of the group or society. Preventive or deterrent punishment serves the group or society by forestalling future wrongdoing of the type committed. Vindictive punishment serves the law and the lawgiver, both human and divine, by putting down one who has flouted the very ideas of law, equality, and justice. By so doing, that person has offended the holiness and justice of God Himself. Although responsibility is being treated here as a moral phenomenon, we have reflected the biblical approach by looking at it from the standpoint of some of the concerns of legal responsibility. A study of legal responsibility as such would lead into such topics as an offender's intentions, strict liability, and criminal insanity. Instead we shall focus on a concept, which is central to moral responsibility as such, namely, the concept of freedom. Some does not hold responsible for a decision or act claiming that man’s will is not free; hence for them there is no such thing as moral responsibility but man possesses free will. They blame such factors as the person’s heredity, social background, mental history, character and environment. Another condition necessary for moral responsibility is knowledge of what is expected of one. A person who is ignorant of a rule or law is either not held responsible or is thought to have a reduced degree of responsibility, as long as he or she did not willfully bring about that ignorance. However, ignorance of the law and regulations excuses no one. Certainly in Scripture, but also in general usage, responsibility extends to the family, to larger groupings up to a nation, to groups of nations, and to even the entire human race. But the primary focus of responsibility is a person who can be held accountable, an agent who has the power or ability to make decisions and act on them intentionally. One act intentionally when one does something for a reason, that is, because of one's beliefs and desires. This is why God is said to judge "the thoughts and intents of the heart." Specific biblical teachings relative to human volition and responsibility will be discussed separately in this book. Because God holds every human being responsible for the sin of the first human being (Romans 5:12), He gave us, free will volition. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries HUMAN VOLITION God's giving of the law through Moses created a much greater sense of responsibility in Israel (Romans 7:7). The rest of the human race is NOT less responsible, however, for "when they do by nature the things contained in the law... [they] show the work of the law written in their hearts" (Romans 2:14-15). Volition is the free will decision of the soul (not of the brain) toward God and His Bible doctrine. Positive volition is a good decision toward God and His Bible doctrine. It is decision inside the spiritual life from position of strength (spirituality). It operates in knowledge or cognizance of Bible doctrine and acceptance of God’s plan of grace. Negative volition is the bad decision against God or against His Bible doctrine from position of weakness. It operates in ignorance or rejection of God’s plan of grace and the Person of Jesus Christ. Whether or not a person knew a particular thought, or act as wrong, he did it because he wanted to do it [James 1:13-15]. It is foolishness to remain passive and naïve to the correlation between our decision and misery in life. The human free will is always the cause of miseries. Nobody is exempted from making bad decisions. No matter how smart and genius we are-someone can always deceive us. Despite our human wisdom and experience we will remain unprotected from our own bad decision because we have subjectivity and sentimentality that can distort and divert our thinking. Both human intelligence and our subjectivity cannot guarantee our soul from making bad decisions. Even the previous experiences both in the world and in the Christian life afford very little help. No great adviser with his good advices can keep us from making bad decisions and doing the foolish things that we set our minds on doing. We hate to suffer and of-course we do not like suffering the miseries that we brought upon ourselves through bad decisions that we made. And nobody wants to admit that his bad decisions brought his own calamities. We use our negative volition to make bad decisions that triggers self-induced miseries or divine discipline. Seldom has the believer suffered alone from his bad decisions- in most cases, the immediate victims are the family members. One bad decision could bring suffering to many – take the example of the first Adam. If not by one’s own volition, suffering results from someone else’s negative volition. We seldom suffer alone from our negative volition. Suffering for negative volition and suffering for personal sins are not the same thing. The believer is disciplined for his own personal sins and in many cases suffers alone. A bad decision from negative volition does not only results to personal self-made miseries but extends to the whole family, community or even to the entire nation. In the world, the innocent suffer with the guilty (the person who made the bad decisions). Innocent or guilty, each believer must apply the divine solutions available in the divine sphere through his good decision from position of strength. The believers are not excused from making bad decisions and never excuse for failure in using the divine solutions in solving human problems. We have no immunity to fail but we have no immunity not to overcome our failure. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries NEGATIVE VOLITION AND MISERIES IN THE WORLD Bad decisions limit future options. Believers and unbelievers do stupid things that divorce then from reality and blame others for the effects of their negative volition. God is rational and He reveals Himself to the teachable, humble, willing to obey and with positive volition believers. Under arrogance complex, the negative volition people ignore God through preoccupation with self (old sinful nature). Under hatred complex, the negative volition people attack God, His plan of grace, and Bible doctrine. An unbeliever who adheres to the divine establishment but then reacts with negative volition will begin to oppose the very truth they formerly believed. That is why, people who rejected the Gospel of Christ also rejected the correct principles of divine establishments- their last spiritual state is worse than the former volition [2 Peter 2:20]. Each rejection of truth by believer or unbeliever intensifies negative volition until the individual has locked himself into extreme antagonism toward God [Exodus 9:34-35]. Each rejection of truth from negative volition adds miseries that affect the lives of the individual concerned and the life of the people surrounding him. Every individual manufactures self-made miseries through negative volition expresses by bad decisions that are contrary to the will, plan and purpose of God. Human negative volition is the cause of human miseries and tragedies. We create our own miseries and problems that divert us away from God. When by your negative volition, you embrace satanic ideas or viewpoint, You become your own enemy. You accept demonic doctrines because your volition operates without truth of the Bible (Bible doctrine)- your soul is empty of God’s Word. This condition is called “vacuum in the soul” and will results to hardening of the soul. When negative volition succeeds in creating vacuum in the soul, the rejection of God’s Word becomes automatic and morally accepted for the person involved. When you reject Bible doctrine, you open yourself to receive satanic doctrine willfully and progressively. Satanic doctrine is the destructive substitute for doctrine. When human negative volition presents any opportunity, Satan seizes the initiative for evil viewpoint (human and satanic doctrine) to infiltrate the soul until he can no longer make good decisions. Very severe darkness from spiritual blindness will black out his soul until he develops hardening of the heart [2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Exodus 7:22, 9:34]. Negative volition can be a subtle detour from the truth of the Bible – a major distraction to spiritual growth and maturity. Because, unknowingly or deliberately, you fall victim to satanic influence by your own volition, you choose to submit to the spirit working among the children of disobedience (those with negative volition) Eph 2:2) Through our active or passive consent, you create an opening for demonic doctrines to enter your soul. Bible doctrine is objective reality –not just subjective. Arrogance distorts all truth. If a person indulges in arrogance, he loses all objectivity and distorts God’s Word. God is logical not illogical therefore, knowledge of the truth (Bible doctrine) is the only environment of genuine thought. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE DANGERS OF NEGATIVE VOLITION This doctrine explains how and why, a carnal and reversionistic believer refuses to give his precious time and concentrate on Bible doctrine - but instead focus on himself. The reversionistic people always over think about himself – exalting himself above the others this is called illusions or daydreaming. Negative volition is a condition of the soul, unseen by human eyes but discernable by the power of the Holy Spirit. Some may not openly reject the truth but are negative because they think only in terms of self –that is, their old sinful nature. Satan can lure the growing believer into arrogance or hatred complexes so that they can attain cosmic strength instead of spiritual strength. Cosmic strength cannot sustain anybody for it has nothing except pseudo strength. The believer will become entangled in self-righteousness-bounded in hatred thrown into the pit of rebellion. The believer will become hypersensitive to suffering, subjectivity, vacillating, and demanding time or attention from others, always seeking sympathy and approbation. You alone can convert negative volition into positive volition, in the same way; you alone can convert negative volition into temptation and temptation into sin. No amount of counseling can help, no amount of advise will avail, no amount of encouragement can change the situation. Only your volition has the key to change the course of history. As a believer, you sustain your spiritual advancement through daily decisions to learn and apply Bible doctrine. You manifest the Bible doctrine resident in your soul through spiritual growth and advancement toward maturity. In opposition to God’s plan, Satan uses and administers his own power system (the cosmic system) to prevent, divert, impede or reverse our spiritual growth and momentum. Of course, God allows Satan intervention because He saw our respond toward satanic viewpoint before the creation the world. What happened and what is happening is included in the divine decree. The foreknowledge of God determined what is going to occur based on human free will or volition. Each believer must decide to exercise his positive volition in applying Bible doctrine. We use our volition to get out of the divine sphere and we us our volition to stay for good. Since volition is the guardian of the soul, we must decide not to allow the inside double agent (the OSN) to take control of the soul. As an essential part of giving mankind free will, God allows human volition enough free leashes to be genuinely free. At any time, a generation can respond with positive volition to the Gospel and Bible doctrine heading off national catastrophe. The only factor that stands between the Philippines (or any nation) and maximum divine discipline is the positive volition of genuine believers. God will bless any nation only if there is strong pivot of mature believers to be recipients of His super- grace blessing in time. Blessing is more difficult for God to bestow when the believer’s volition is involved, but that is exactly what God has achieved by creating the divine protocol plan. The believer with positive volition gains strength by using Bible doctrine and by exercising his own soul by inculcating the very thinking pattern of Christ’s humanity in the midst of underserved sufferings and using God’s resources in solving human problems [1 Corinthians 2:16]. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries POSITIVE VOLITION Genuine spiritual exercise does not involve the performing or observing supernatural events like miracles. The positive volition is not human good works, not a system of human good or human powers but a mental attitude that freed God to freely bless the mature believer in time. Rational thinking is the essential human activity that distinguishes man from animals. Man was created with a soul capable of rational thought. For that reason, the mentality of the soul is the battlefield of the angelic conflict. Man uses his free will to decide the state of his mentality. When the believer thinks evil, he is evil who resides in Satan’s cosmic system and must use his positive volition to get out and go back to spirituality. Spiritual advancement is manifested basically by the believer’s ability to rebound immediately after falling into sin and to continue moving toward his goal of spiritual maturity no matter how complicated his life maybe. The free will decisions of the believer to rebound and his positive volition must take its form in aggressive action and persistent accumulation of Bible doctrine and the utilization of the divine resources or problem solving- devices. This steadiness of purpose is vital in reaching spiritual maturity. Positive volition is the only key that unlocks multiple blessings. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries INEQUALITY AND POSITIVE VOLITION Man was never designed to be equal we are born unequal and human free will assures further inequality. The more decisions people makes the more unequal they become. Freedom and equality can never co-exist. God’s protection of freedom guarantees that inequality will be a perpetual historical trend. Never in the history of mankind can equality be achieved. Equality in human history is impossible because of two reasons: First-because God has designated human volition to be the key issue in the angelic conflict. Second –because Satan, the god of this world gives preferential treatment to his servants, the unbelievers. Both God’s perfect justice and Satan’s injustice assure human inequality in all dispensations. We are born unequal and the very fact God perpetuates our lives after birth means that we are also born with opportunities. Our great opportunity lies in the fact that we are possessors of eternal life and the perfect righteousness of God. Each individual is given the chance to succeed or fail, but even in success or failure inequality truly exists. No two people succeed to the same degree and no two people equally fail in the same degree. Inequality is not detrimental in itself. Inequality is distorted into a problem by the arrogance of resenting inequality, by self pity or refusal to face reality and our very own inability to explore the opportunities of one’s own capacity in a particular realm. No two persons are alike and the same. Man is designed and designated to shape by his own volition. The proper use and application of human volition makes freedom and genuine happiness a reality. The careless and unwise use of volition enslaves a person to details of life. Despite any limitations in circumstances, talent, mentality, health, appearance or any other outward factors and because man has soul- therefore, the realization of his life’s potentialities comes from human free will or volition not from fate or luck. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries VOLITION AND THE HERITAGE OF FREEDOM Freedom is the most valuable possession of human beings. Human freedom is the heritage of human birth the extension of the volition of the soul as the UNCAUSED CAUSE of man’s thought and action. Freedom is self-determination, the function of the free will, never forced by threat, violence, not determined by environment, society or genetics manipulation. In the sphere of freedom, the Lord Jesus Christ freed us to receive salvation and to advance in the divine sphere [Galatians 3:13, 5:1]. Freedom is the hope of the new birth (regeneration), which provides access to the believer to the love complex the realm of spiritual freedom [2 Corinthians 3:17]. Bible doctrine is called the LAW OF FREEDOM, which defines the believer’s freedom to glorify God [James 1:25, 2:12]. Positive volition toward the Word of God is the basis of spiritual freedom [psalm 119:45]. No one can prevent you from freedom to think of Bible doctrines; no one can stop you from your daily intake of Bible doctrines except yourself. No extenuation (partial justification or excuses) can relieve you of your personal responsibility to redeem the time inside the divine sphere. Freedom as our human heritage and spiritual heritage also has become our very own national heritage. The existence and perpetuation of national liberty demands respects for legitimately established authority that depends on the cumulative personal integrity of all citizens. The only factor that limits the life of every individual is his volition. The only factor that limits the spiritual status of the believer is his volition. The justice of God releases blessings upon the believer depending on his adjustment to the justice of God. No adjustments means no spiritual blessings. There are three spiritual adjustments to the justice of God all of which requires positive volition toward God and toward His Word. Salvation is the non-meritorious decision of the soul outside the divine sphere, outside the plan of God. Salvation is one time decision-valid once and for all. It is one time response to the grace of God. Rebound is the non-meritorious decision to re-enter the divine sphere from state of carnality. Rebound is the adjustment to the justice of God that restores, cleanses, forgives, and positions the believer for blessing based on the work of Christ. Spiritual maturity requires a series of positive volition decisions from position of strength that opens more doors of opportunities in the future. Spiritual mature believers make a wise decision that creates options for greater decisions resulting to more blessings from the justice of God. Carnal and immature believers make wrong decisions that close future options for greater decisions. We all enter the Christian life with some handicap from our lives as unbelievers and from exposure to satanic doctrines. Every handicap and difficulty is nullified by God’s system of grace. Only your own negative volition prevents you from living the normal Christian way of life and advance toward spiritual maturity. There is only one issue: How will your volition function, negatively or positively? Volition can be used to succeed or fail in the Christian life but the grace of God provides only for success! Two strongholds hinder the proper function of volition: the arrogance and hatred complexes. Both paralyze the soul, distort the Word and follow the path of Satan. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE OBJECTIVE OF THE DIVINE DECREE The center of the divine decree is the glory and personal pleasure of God. The center of human history is Christ, which is the center of the universe. Anything the Members of the Trinity decide to originate is decided with two concepts in mind: IT IS FOR THEIR PLEASURE. Our concept of pleasure is different from pleasure of God. His perfect happiness is part of His infinite character; therefore His pleasure is not impulsive, emotional or frivolous. For their own pleasure, the Trinity created the angelic hosts with perfect knowledge that some angels would revolt. For His own pleasure, God created man with free will and would share His happiness. God designed that man would become the demonstration of the fullness of God’s essence to those angels who had impugned God’s character. After the fall of Adam, God’s pleasure is human adjustment to the justice of God through salvation, For Christians; God’s pleasure is adjustment to the justice of God through rebound and advancement toward spiritual maturity. Salvation, spirituality and spiritual maturity provide capacity for the blessings of God it opens the windows of heaven for believers to receive what God had prepared in grace. IT IS FOR THEIR GLORY. Everything the Trinity had decided in the eternity past and everything the Trinity decides is for their glory. God has always existed in perfect glory. Anything He does reflects His glory and results in His glorification. God does not depend on us for His pleasure or for His glory. God enjoyed His perfect glory in the eternity past when no one else existed. He is expressing them in us and toward us- we are here as part of God’s pleasure and glory. It is the pleasure of God to permit creatures to exercise free volition. We should have no illusions about ourselves. We are here not to glorify ourselves not to impress God but to synchronize or to harmonize ourselves with His pleasure and glory. The purpose of our existence is to glorify God NOT to claim glory and honor for ourselves. When God created Adam in His image, he was in full capacity to glorify God being without old sinful nature and personal sin. But when Adam fell into sin, he removed his capacity to glorify God. Apart from the imputed eternal life and righteousness, man has no capacity and is not in position to glorify God. Unbelievers have no power or capacity to glorify God for several reasons: First: no amount of human good works can bring honor and praise to God. Second: the perfection of God can accept only something that satisfied His own perfection (that is His imputed righteousness in the believer). Third: the believers adjust to the justice of God through provision of grace (salvation, spirituality and spiritual maturity) and not through human dead good works. Fourth: man by nature is totally depraved before God. Therefore, our redemption and justification is through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do to destroy or to insult the glory of God because His glory is not dependent on human action, character, morality or decision. His glory is intact with His perfect character and is never affected by human morality or character. The most devious actions of the combined forces of all demons and wicked men cannot destroy the glory of God. The only way to glorify God is to adjust to His perfect justice through His perfect system of grace. He provided a perfect method and a perfect means to satisfy His perfect demands from imperfect men. We cannot devise our own method of glorifying God. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE OMNISCIENCE OF GOD The key for understanding the divine decree is the knowledge of God’s omniscience. God has three kinds of knowledge: Self-knowledge: God knows Himself; He has never had to learn anything about Himself. His self-knowledge has always been perfect, total and complete. He is aware of His own essence and the infinite capabilities of each Members of the Trinity. Omniscience. God knows at the same time all things outside Himself. God knows all things about every person in the universe. God knows everything both the actual and the possible. The actual are those that He foreordained, decreed and programmed to happen, while the possible are those things that could have happened but did not happen and will never happen. The possible includes the decisions that will not materialize because God knows that you will not make such decision and therefore, God did not decree it to happen. Foreknowledge. This subcategory of God’s cognizance acknowledges only what is decreed, but foreknowledge does not make the decree certain. Foreknowledge is the printout of the actual facts (not the possibilities) related to the volition of the believer. The Scripture to unbelievers never applies foreknowledge. God knows perfectly, eternally, infinitely and simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible. God always knew about everything. Because He is eternal-His knowledge is eternal. Because God is sovereign –His knowledge is in control of all creation. Because God is superior His knowledge is superior to our inferior knowledge of Bible doctrines. His superior knowledge is far greater than human knowledge or intellect. The only link between our inferior knowledge and God’s superior knowledge is the Bible doctrine. The minutest details of both the angelic and human history is perfectly and completely in the mind of God at all times. he perfect omniscience of God perceives the free as free, the necessary as necessary, together with their causes, conditions, effects and relations as one individual system of things, every link of which is essential to the integrity of the whole. God perfectly knows every relation between each cause and effect. Every cause and effect is related to another cause and effect. God is never puzzled or confused by any twist of circumstances or events. Since human volition is the uncaused cause of the human function so that the course of history depends on the will of men. The course of human history is simply as man thinks, wills it or does it. That is why, man has no reason for complaining, for falling apart, for failing in a crisis, left out or for feeling sorry for himself because God has already provided everything we need related to spiritual growth and existence in the world. The infinite knowledge of God is not limited by time and time does not limit God’s knowledge because for Him, the future is as perspicuous as the past. God created time and time is in God but God is not in time. The perfect omniscience of God knows the valid alternative to human history the possible and the actual. God knows what would have been involved in every case where a man’s decision might have been different from what it was. Even though God knew which way you would choose to go and decreed only the very things that would become reality –and He knows exactly all the repercussions of each alternative. GOD is all knowing or omniscience (which comes from the Latin OMNI, which means all, and SCIENTIA meaning knowledge. God is perfectly wise His wisdom is perfect. He knows perfectly and eternally all that is knowable, whether actual or merely possible. God knows everything that has been known or ever will be known. Never was there a time when God did not know everything that is knowable –He never learns anything because He has always known everything [Proverbs 15:3, Isaiah 36:9-10, 1 John 3:20]. The omniscience of God is both eternal and infinite –He has always known everything and there is nothing that He does not know [Acts 15:18]. The omniscience of God has complete and absolute knowledge of everything that is knowable and unknown to us. Everything is totally comprehensible to the infinite God. The Bible reveals only a small fraction of God’s perfect knowledge for us to known and understands Romans 11:33]. The omniscience of God is perfectly wise and has absolute knowledge of everything since maximum knowledge belongs to the Omniscience of God [Ephesians 3:10]. Every detail of all creation and history is in God’s mind at all times and always has been from the eternity past. This is God’s mentality connected with His infinity. The future is as clear as the past. God foreknows the future since all events take place according to His counsel (or what we called divine decree). God foreknows, but His foreknowledge is not predetermined. God knows every step you will take, but He never interferes with human volition. He foreknows the function of every free will. He knows what every being will choose and He knows which way each person will decide in the function of his free will in every situation of life. Although God never interferes with free will, God is gracious and all wise, so, He may determine, which choice is made through His gracious influence through:
God’s perfect knowledge (omniscience) is not subject to development, reasoning, regretting, foreboding and revising, because His omniscience is always total and perfect, therefore it cannot be develop beyond what is already is. God knows all the conclusions as well as the premises; hence, even though He is totally reasonable and rational in all things, He never needs to reason out. We can never second-guess God. There is no way we can improve on His system. We can simply go along with His perfectly wise policy (which He designed for our best interest) or reject it, in such case, His perfect plan goes right along without us. Although His omniscience transcends time and eternity, His perfect knowledge of all events before they occur does not violate or interfere with human volition. By divine design human beings are free agents who can choose to partake of God’s grace or reject Him. Making every person personally accountable to God for every decision and action that has been made. Under the omniscience of God, there is no such thing as FATE OR BAD LUCK because all events take place according to His counsel (the divine decree) and our present is the result of our previous decisions that we have made. God knows what would have been involved in every case where a man’s decision might have been different from what it was. Divine omniscience knows every thought, decisions, and action in human history, how they all relate to each other and how they relate to all the possible alternatives. The foreknowledge of God makes nothing certain but merely acknowledges what is certain. It knows what is already in the decrees regarding believers only. In the foreknowledge nothing can be certain until it is first decreed- only then can what will happen be foreknown. God knows all actual events as certainly the future because He has decreed them to be certainly futurity. God decrees relate equally to all future events of every kind:
The divine decrees alone establish certainly. For believers-foreordination, predestination, elections are synonymous with the decrees. Foreknowledge is an act of the infinite and perfect wisdom of God in determining the certain futurities of events in the life of the believer. In the eternity past, the omniscience of God fed into the decree all the facts of reality (not the possible) simultaneously, not in stages. The decrees have become the complete and consummated right of the sovereignty of God determining the certain futurities of all things in human history. No decree can become complete without the sovereignty of God. Because He knows the end from the beginning –God wills certain things to happen. Many areas of the decrees have been fulfilled historically, up to and including this present moment, but all were future when decreed, including those events that have been fulfilled. No event is directly caused by the decree. The decree merely establishes what will be caused, but the decree is the not the cause. The fact that a thought or action on your part is in the decree does not mean that the decree caused you to think or do it. The cause is your free will your volition. Your thoughts are in the decree because in the eternity past. God had the perfect wisdom to know what you would think and to not omit from His planning the fact that you would think it. Because of the free will of act of man, the decree provides the following: The agent shall be a free agent. Since God provided man with free will, the decree establishes volition never coercing anyone’s decision-creating everyone accountable for his own decisions and actions. All the antecedents of the act in question shall be what they are. Whenever a decision is made it shall be the result of decisions previously made. Once something happens, that is It is part of the system of cause and effect it becomes part of the basis for other things happening and down the line. All present conditions of the act shall be what they are. God is not going to make reality suddenly vanish or become different or reverse itself. God enables us to orient ourselves to reality and to face the facts. What God decreed shall come to pass without changing its course. The act shall be perfectly spontaneous and free on the part of the agent without coercion and compulsion. The act shall be certainly futuristic. That is, it will definitely take place, as certain, after the decree is given. Wishful thinking cannot change what has already occurred. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries ELECTION AND THE OMNISCIENT OF GOD The divine decree is a basic category of biblical theology a very important doctrine in which the majority of believers are basically ignorant. The divine decree vested solely with the will of God what His creation should be. God alone decided in eternity past what human beings would be like we would be rational beings with free will volition. Because God cannot contradict His own nature (the essence and attributes of God) necessitated His willingness to provide the highest and the best for mankind. When God created man (Adam), He created the highest and the best compatible with His perfect plan. Adam was created perfect in body, soul and spirit and put him in a perfect environment. The best and perfect that man has received in creation has been lost through the fall and because of that, the perfect God who created mankind now condemns us. Nevertheless, God still wills the highest and the best for mankind. With our free will, we may miss some or all of these great and best things. The best things can come only from God and our consolation is that it is still available. We have to understand the difference between the omniscience and the perfect foreknowledge of God. Foreknowledge is more limited in scope than omniscience but omniscience knows both the actual and the possible. Foreknowledge includes the actual only and is related to the redeemed only. The omniscience of God knows all that would have been involved had He adopted any one of an infinite number of plans of action. He also knows all the consequences had man chosen a different course of action within the realm of his own volition. Foreknowledge refers only to things, which God did decree or adopt as the plan of God but things related only to the children of God. Only the decree of God establishes the certainty or reality. Only reality can be foreknown nothing can be foreknown until first decreed. Events cannot occur without being decreed by God to occur. God’s decrees never originate from His foreknowledge. Although the omniscience, the decree and the foreknowledge of God exist simultaneously in the mind of God, they must be separated into a logical sequence for us to understand them. First come omniscience, then the decree, then and the foreknowledge. The divine decree is based on omniscience; foreknowledge is based on the decree. Election is the exclusive plan of God for believers. All the elect are believers. All the Church Age believers are elect members of the royal family of God. Election is God’s complete agreement with His own foreknowledge. God simply agrees with Himself (foreknowledge) and puts a stamp of approval (election) upon what He decreed [1 Peter 1:2]. God elected or chose believers where He alone knows ahead of time (before it occur) that if given free will, they would freely choose to believe in Christ. Therefore, God decreed that such an act of faith would actually occur and that God agreed not only that their positive volition to the Gospel and Bible doctrines would occur at a certain point in time- and that all the blessing of salvation would be their eternal possessions [Ephesians 1:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:13]. Election is declared through God’s perfect foreknowledge and election is the function of predestination. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries ELECTION AND HUMAN HISTORY Predestination permanently and eternally relates to the Church Age believers to the plan of grace [2 Tim. 1:9]. Predestination means that the believer is in union with the Lord Jesus Christ through retroactive and current positional truth, in which the saints shares the destiny of Christ [Ephesians 1:5]. The believers also share the election of Christ, which occurred in eternity past [1 Peter 2:4-6]. God gracious and unconditional covenants to Israel can be fulfilled only to the elect. God cannot just pour out His perfect blessings to anybody outside election. In the Old Testament, Israel refers to those Jews who were also spiritual Jews through faith in Christ. The genuine Jew is not merely the physical seed of Abraham but His spiritual seed as well. Unless the racial Jews follow the pattern of Abraham in salvation, he is not elected because not all-racial Israelite is genuine spiritual Israelite. The unconditional covenants to Israel are promises for the elect Jews for those who have believed in Christ who possess God’s imputed righteousness and eternal life. The covenants of God to Israel are eternal, so therefore, the recipients and beneficiaries must have eternal life. The divine decrees include all the facts of human history. These are the facts, which were fed into the decree by the omniscience of God. The entire lives of all members of the human race are on the divine decree. Beginning with the first breath until the time of physical death all is recorded based on the divine decree. You do not know what the future holds for you but God does. He recorded it in the eternity pass. Only the events and things recorded will come to past. For God, there is nothing that could surprise Him. This divine will and purpose originated entirely within Himself before He created our universe. The will of God (the divine decree) is in His mind at all times. He alone designed it for His own pleasure, perfectly compatible with His essence and related to His glory. Therefore, it pleases God to run the compact disk of our recorded life (the divine decree) to the end. He knows what is on it, and He is running it for each one of us. Space and time are the venue of the battle –the overall setting in which we live and use our volition for or against the will of God. These broad concepts are all in the divine decrees and also the details, which reach down to the minutia of life. The most minor details of every event and happening in the world are included in the decree [Luke 12:6-7]. Nothing escapes the perfect knowledge of God. The Godhead functions under the divine decree in relation to human beings, not under the pressure of time and infinity but in relation to man as supreme Creator. The Members of the Godhead function in a way that is immanence, intrinsic, and subjective. Subjectivity is perfect when God is dealing with Himself. How the Godhead maintains and supports the believer is transient (the divine decree keeps running), extrinsic (because such actions occurs outside the Godhead), and objective (because our only point of contact with the perfect God is the perfect justice of God revealed in the Scripture. The divine decrees are efficacious (the direct work of God); because His work always succeeds in having intended effect, the decrees actually determine all that ever was or will be. The divine decrees guarantee certainty. The foreknowledge of God makes nothing certain; it merely perceives what is certain. by J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries OMNISCIENCE AND TIME The divine decrees are all comprehensive. No slightest confusion could exist as to one of even the smallest events without confusion to all events. All events in human history are interwoven and interdependent. The decrees do not eliminate the need for prayer because God looked down at the corridor of time to see what believers would ask in prayer. Effective prayer makes requests, which God answers. These answers the things we ask in time are incorporated into the decrees in eternity past [Isaiah 65:24]. God has answered our prayer even before we ask. Prayer is a powerful weapon in the angelic conflict when wielded by the mature believer who knows what he is doing [Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2]. Because the decrees are eternal, it also means that God never gains in knowledge. What God has known at any time He has always known even before He created the universe. Since all the decrees were all decreed simultaneously in eternity past, God is never surprised by anything we do or fail to do. He knew everything simultaneously. He built divine provisions around the free choices we would make, included the whole life span of all human beings in the entire human history. The divine decrees existed before the existence of the universe, before angels and before man and before everything. The decrees of God are unchangeable and certain. Nothing will ever arise to necessitate a change in the decree. It is unchangeable because it deals only with reality and rejected the wishful thinking. It is certain because omniscience always knew that these things would occur under the circumstances of their exact and particular moment in history. The changelessness of the divine decree is a great blessing of logistical grace because if there is erasure, correction or changes then we are never secure. But because there are no erasures, corrections, deletions, no last minute changes there is no possibility of becoming lost in the shuffle. All the provisions for our needs are absolutely secure. Our protection in the hand of God is absolute and certain. The decree is the free choice of divine sovereignty and God is not bound to follow a necessary pattern or course but His perfect faithfulness and truth He will incorruptly complete what He has begun. God will run your decree up to the end. Once God decreed you to exist-that become the perfect plan the future events in your life will occur tomorrow and the next day. You will never suddenly cease to exist. Your exit is under the perfect time appointed for your departure. No departure from this life is too early or one second delay [Hebrews 9:27]. Our entry on earth is in perfect timing and likewise our exit is in perfect timing. God has decreed ends as well as means, causes as well as effects, conditions and all instrumentalities as well as the events, which depend upon them. God is never surprised by your reaction, action or lack or response because He knew perfectly everything about every individual and nothing is unknown to Him. There is no sudden death or sudden changes from human volition because He knew all that will occur. God’s omniscience knew all about the historical events. There is no sudden or accident in history of man. There is no development or collapse of a nation that is unknown to God. Before they occurred God knew the exact causes, conditions, successions of history because He sustains and controls history. He knew every ebb and flow. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries DIVINE ACTIONS Some things God decreed to do Himself. We call these immediate things. Creation is immediate. God created space, matter and also time. Salvation is immediate creation because it was a direct action of the divine sovereignty and no secondary agency was involved. The control of history is dependent on the omnipotent power of God, in which He takes a direct hand in the matter rather than relegate (reduce in importance) the task to secondary causes. Other things He decreed that some agency would perform (such as the free will of man) would perform this we call mediate things. God accomplishes some things through the action of secondary causes acting the law of necessity. Other things God has decreed to promote or permit free agents to do in the exercise of their own free will and self-determination. On one hand, human volition is responsible for sin, human good, and evil from old sin nature. On the one hand, man is free to believe in Christ through non-meritorious positive volition resulting in eternal salvation. Some events are rendered by the decree of God to be just as certainly future, however, all events are equally certain to occur whether caused directly by the sovereignty of God or caused by the free will of man. Primary, secondary, tertiary, every cause for every event is equally in the decree and will occur. The sovereignty of God and the free will of man coexist in human history as an extension of the angelic conflict. There is one all-inclusive will or purpose of God concerning all that ever was or will be from the beginning of human history until its termination on the last of the Millennium. God has known every thought, decision, and action that has ever occurred or will occur because all events come into being through one decree. God’s will in this aspect refer to God’s sovereign decisions to what would come into existence or in short, the divine decree and not to divine guidance. This will and purpose of God originated within Himself long before any creature of any kind existed. His will is always consistent with His perfect essence. The will and purpose of God (the divine decree) was objectively designed for His own glory, pleasure and satisfaction. All creatures have been placed in time and space and all events related time and space were instantaneously and simultaneously decreed. The fact that all events were decreed results in divine action. All divine action related to creation is the work of grace. The work of grace is the policy of His integrity in blessing the believers. Divine actions falls under two classifications: Divine actions within the Godhead are immanent, intrinsic, and subjective. Divine actions related to creation are transient, extrinsic, and objective. God did not decree Himself to be God. God existed prior to and outside of the decree, so that the divine decree do not act upon God, He act upon the decrees. Since the divine decrees are efficacious having the power to produce the indented effect they determine all that ever was or will be. They include God’s directive will, permissive will and overruling will. These three categories of divine will describe the manner in which God’s sovereignty controls history they are subcategories of divine action as related to His creation. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE WILL OF GOD The directive will of God, the permissive will of God and the overruling will of God show how the sovereignty of God deals with human volition. The will of God as to what would exist (that is the divine decree) calls for God’s will (His perfect attributes of sovereignty) to function toward us in certain ways:
All things depend on God’s will (the divine decree) and nothing certain from God’s will. The divine decrees originate from His own omniscience, and in the eternity past the divine decree separated the facts from fiction. Again, we have to make a distinction between God’s omniscience and His foreknowledge. God’s decree does not originate from His foreknowledge. God’s foreknowledge makes nothing certain; it merely perceives what the decrees have made certain. Prophecy never determines history. Nothing can be foreknown until it is decreed. The divine foreknowledge is God’s cognizance of what He has decreed regarding believers. We must make distinction between the desires of God and the decrees of God. The decree of God merely establishes the facts of history many things are included which God does not desire. They are in the decree because the omniscience of God knew that, given free will, His creatures would reject the plan and purpose of their Creator. All sins are act of negative human volition and although God never approves of sin, He puts them in the decrees because He knew we would commit them. The decree deals with reality with certainty with what actually happens. Just because God decrees a particular event to take place does not mean He approves of it. Sin, human good, and evil are not the desire of God, but they are in the decrees because people do these things from their own volition. God desires His perfect will, but angels and men use their god-given freedom to violate the desires of God. The very fact that sin and evil are in the decree is proof that our volition is truly free. The decree is the all-exclusive will of God; they contain all the facts of history both the decisions, which pleases God and those, which displeases Him. God does not desire to cast His creatures into the Lake of Fire, but it is decreed as certain for all men who reject Christ as Savior [2 Peter 3:9]. God’s desire is for all unbelievers to come to a change of mind toward Christ but for those with negative volition at the point of God’s consciousness or Gospel-hearing, the Lake of Fire is decreed and become a divine retribution. God does not desire to discipline believers, but it is decreed as certain for all carnal or immature God desires to express His perfect justice toward you but if you do not permit His justice to bless you His justice will not hesitate to discipline you. We are created as free agents responsible for our own decisions. Either we adjust to the justice of God or the justice of God will adjust to us. God will never cause us any kind of misery or pains we manufacture our own miseries. The desire of God is always contrary to the will or system of men. There is nothing we can do against the will of God except to reject or refuse it. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries INEQUALITY IN THE DECREE We must distinguish the decrees of God in eternity past from the action of God in time. The action of God in time is the execution of the decree. The execution is not the decree but logically follows the decree. We must make distinction between God’s decrees and God’s laws. The laws of divine establishment regulate human conduct they are set up for human volition to obey. They are for all men believers or unbelievers alike. By protecting and perpetuating the human race, these laws give each of us a chance to be evangelized and after believing in Christ, we have the opportunity to grow and reach spiritual maturity without interference or coercion. The laws of the divine establishment can be broken by human volition, but the divine decrees cannot. We cannot violate the divine decree because any decision we make was known in eternity past and was included in the decree. The divine decrees are the all-comprehensive will of God and are only partially revealed in Scripture, the laws of God regulate man’s conduct in time and space are completely revealed. The omniscience of God in taking cognizance of the fall of man graciously provided a plan for blessing man based on divine imputations from the justice of God. This plan of grace involves the omniscience of God providing into the divine decree seven imputations, which provides maximum blessings for mankind in time and in eternity. The decree of God contains the historical reality regarding every human being’s levels of attainment inside the plan of grace. True freedom means that some people attain all these imputations while other do not. Genuine freedom insures inequality. There is no equality in this world and there is no equality in eternity. The road to equality is the road to slavery not genuine freedom. True freedom and equality do not mix. Non-meritorious human volition can fall short of any potential in God’s plan. God knew the extent to which each individual advances in this plan in eternity past. God knew that some would remain unbelievers that others would believe but remain spiritually immature, that few would advance to spiritual maturity. Those who reach maturity receive blessings in time and greater blessings in eternity they would glorify God and bring Him pleasure. In obvious cases, the potential exceeds the reality. The potential is totally known to God’s omniscience; only the reality is in the divine decree. Since God is perfectly righteous and just, our attainment of divine blessings is through imputation by which we also glorify God and do His pleasure. The glory of God is related to believer’s advance to spiritual maturity and the resultant imputation of divine blessings. God is glorified not only in what He is but also in what He has decreed. To the finite mind, the decrees are many, but to God, they are all one plan embracing cause and effect, means and ends. The decree includes every detail in the experience of every creature, including the minutest aspects as the number of hair in your head. In the event of national disaster, the spiritually matured believer will be isolated and alone, yet able to do his job and live his life unto the Lord, knowing that God has not forgotten him. The decree of God is the sovereign purpose of God, which efficaciously accomplished by God alone, apart from all creature talents, ability, mentality, counsel or cooperation. Therefore, human volition creates obvious inequality inside the plan of God, but God did not create this inequality but our human volition. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE ORIGIN AND SUBJECT OF THE DIVINE DECREE The divine decrees unite in one all-inclusive and final objective the glory of God {Romans 11:36, Hebrews 2:10]. Since God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are infinite the members of the Godhead are worthy of all glory. God’s glory is what He is and receiving glory is not new to the Trinity. All three Persons have always had it and always will. In eternity past, the Godhead did not need to add anything to what “They” already had God has never suffered any kind of deficiency. Since God is the Origin and Subject and not the object of the divine decree, the Members of the Godhead, God will inevitably be glorified by every thought, every decision and by every action in human history. The good and evil are included; sin, evil and everything will add up to the glorification of God [Psalm 76:10]. The perfect plan of God began with His glory and will end up with glory. It is never hindered, it never stops, it moves on with you or without you no matter what you do. If a person remains unbeliever and go to hell, the glory of God will remain untarnished and un-compromised. Nothing from human reaction can tarnish the glory of God. God is glorified not only in what He is but also in what He has decreed. The things that God causes directly and the things that permit indirectly are all in the divine decree. Since God created man with free-will volition in the soul He therefore permits the free will to function with self-determination. Otherwise man would never have fallen. God permitted the fall it was not His directive will but His permissive will is as much a part of the decrees as is directive will. This is true because the decrees are human history in the eyes of God recorded in the eternity past. The sovereignty of God and the free will of man co-exist in human history. The divine decrees do not oppose human freedom. Man is free to glorify and serve God but the manner and of glorification and service is prescribed by God and not left to human free will or imagination. Since the divine decree is the sum total of God’s plan and purpose in eternity past, it centers on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God accomplishes the work of salvation while man gains the benefits apart from human merit or ability. Without violating human volition, God has designed a plan so perfect that it includes direction, provision, preservation, function, cause, and effect for all believers. The perfect plan of God is consistent with human freedom. God is never unfair; He does not coerce or limit human freedom. He graciously provides guidance as to how we should use our volition. God revealed His plan in the Bible. The highest priority of the believer is the cognition, retention, and application of Bible doctrine. God permits some things to happen. other things He causes, but all things work for His perfect plan. Some things please Him, others do not but God always recognizes reality. This is a very important aspect of our relationship with God. Everything, which is decreed, is reality and like God, we must face the facts. Because God deals with reality, His plan must deal with things as they are. His perfect solutions start with “what is”, and never with “what is not”. There is no wishful thinking in God. He never rationalizes anything. He never blesses us because of our schemes, plans, character, ideas or self-righteousness. He blesses us on the basis of His character.
THE CREATION OF ANGELS The angelic conflict started long before the creation of the universe –long before the existent of man. In the eternity past, God created the angelic beings From the Greek term aggelos we got the English word "angel". It may denote either a human or a heavenly "messenger." Yet in the NT, except in Luke 7:24; 9:52; and perhaps Rev. 1:20, it is used only for heavenly beings. The term chosen by Scripture to denote angels gives us the clue to the function by which they are primarily to be known and understood. They are God's messengers or ambassadors. They belong to His heavenly court and service. Their mission in heaven is to praise God (Rev. 4:5). They devote themselves to doing God’s perfect will (Psalm 103:20) and in this activity they behold His face (Matthew 18:10). They accompany God in His work of creation (Job 38:7), though they themselves are also creatures (Psalm 148:2, 5). They also assist in God's providential ordering of human historical affairs (Daniel 12:1). Above all they are active in the divine work of reconciliation (from Genesis 19:1-2 onward). In fulfillment of their mission they declare God's will or decree (Luke 1:26-27) and do His work (Matthew 28:2). There seems to be some ordering in their ranks; some are referred to as archangels, as over against those who are referred to as simply angels (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Jude 9). The function of angels may be seen clearly from their part in the saving mission of Jesus Christ. They are naturally present when this both begins with the nativity (Matthew 1; Luke 1-3) and ends with the resurrection (Matthew 28:2) and ascension (Acts 1:10). They also assist the church in its early ministry (Acts 5:19; 10:3). They will play an important part in the events of the end time (Rev. 7:1-). Finally they will come with Christ when He returns in glory (Matthew 24:31) and separate the righteous and the wicked. They do not do the real work of reconciliation, which is Christ's prerogative. But they accompany and declare this work, praising the God of grace and glory and summoning men and women to participate in their worship (Luke 1:46). Interestingly, there seem to be only two angelic recorded appearances between Christ's birth and resurrection: at the beginning of His way to the cross in the temptation and then before the crucifixion itself in Gethsemane. This is perhaps because Jesus had to tread His way of atoning self-giving alone, and in His humiliation He is made a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:9), though exalted far above them by nature (Hebrews 1). Yet angels did not withdraw from the scene, for they rejoice at sinners repenting (Luke 15:10) and will hear the Son of man confess those who confess Him (Luke 12:8). The Bible offers only a few hints about the nature of angels. Belonging to the heavenly sphere, they cannot be properly conceived of in earthly terms. They are mostly described in relation to God, as God’s angels (Psalm 104:4). The two angelic names, Michael and Gabriel, emphasize this relationship with the “el” suffix attached to Hebrew name of God. It is as God's angels, perhaps, that they are called "elect" in 1 Timothy 5:21. Hebrews 1:14 described them as "ministering spirits" in a conflation of the two parts of Psalm 104:4. They figure as the "heavenly ones" (Psalm 29:1) or the "holy ones" (Job 5:1) who are set apart for God's service; both these terms occur in Psalm 89:6-7, though "sons of God" is here another rendering of "heavenly ones" (Psalm 29:1). The "gods" of Psalm 82:1, in whose midst God holds judgment, are often thought to be angels too. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE NATURE OF ANGELS Like Christians, angels are also called “children of God” but we need not infer from this usage, because angels are lesser deities. Indeed, the Bible clearly warns us not to worship them (Colossians 2:18; Revelations 19:10). Among the heavenly beings mentioned is made of the seraphim (Isaiah 6:2) and, more frequently, the cherubim. Cherubim guarded Eden after the expulsion of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:24). They form God's chariot at His descent (Psalm 18:10). Figures of cherubim adorned the Ark (Exodus 25:17) and Solomon's temple (I Kings 6:23), so that Yahweh is enthroned above the cherubim (I Samuel 4:4; Psalm 80:1). Ezekiel offers an elaborate visionary description (Ezek. 1:10; 9:3; 10:15-22) in which their form is human (1:5) but symbolical traits stress their glory and spiritual excellence Of the angels named, Michael is called "the great prince" (Daniel 12:1) and the other angels seem to be led by Him (Revelation 12:7), though God Himself, of course, is the Lord of hosts and Prince of the host (Daniel 8:11). The man who appeared to Joshua in Joshua chapter 5 usually taken to be an angel, says that he has come as commander of the army of the Lord, Gabriel, the other angel named in canonical Scripture, is the angel of the annunciation (Luke 1:26). Distinctions seem to be indicated in Revelation 4-5 with the references to the beasts and the elders, but the exact significance of these terms is disputed. The apocryphal archangels (Raphael, Uriel, Jemeil Tob) are all fictitious. From the various statements about the nature of angels, and Paul's use of the terms "principalities," "powers," "thrones," "dominions," and "forces," early and medieval theology evolved a complex speculative account of the angelic world. The error in so much angelology was to deal with angels apart from the biblical witness. Even regarding their function there was a tendency to rationalize or to focus interest on the idea of the guardian angel (Matt. 18:10). Though they come in human form, the angels are essentially non-corporeal. Even they were present at the time of creation, they are still creatures (Psalm 148:2, 5). They form an ordered unity, yet their plurality entails the existence of individuals within the totality, with a possible gradation in function. As compared with humans they have the advantage of being in God's immediate presence and serving as His direct messengers. They also guard the proprieties, if that is the meaning of I Corinthians 11:10, and seem to play some role in or over the nations (Daniel 10). But when men and women respond to God's saving work in Christ they are raised above them, enjoy their ministry (Hebrews I:14), and will finally judge them (I Corinthians 6:3), for even angels are not faultless in God's eyes (Job 4:18; 15:15). In Judges 13:2-3 this seems to be identical with God. Many have thought, then, that in the OT at least the reference is to the pre-incarnate Logos. Liberals have explained it as a softening of theophany to angephany but without showing why this does not always apply. Another questionable interpretation is that God speaks so fully through the angel that He himself is virtually speaking. Certainly the "angel of the Lord" of Luke 2:9 is not Christ, but this does not in itself rule out such an equation in the OT. Has there been a fall (expelled fro heaven) of angels? The Bible speaks of the dragon and his angels (Revelation 12:7) and also of powers of evil (Ephesians 6:12), so that while we cannot be too dogmatic on the subject, we have to assume that there is a real kingdom of evil in grotesque caricature of the angelic kingdom. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE ANGELIC BEINGS Angels (aggelos in Greek and malakh in Hebrews. Both terms means messenger, an order of created beings, superior to man, belonging to heaven and engaged in service of God. Angels are spiritual (spirit), supernatural, eternal, and celestial being with no material bodies but can assume the human form when necessary [Hebrews 1:14, Luke 24:4, Acts 10:3]. Angels of God are majestic and glorious beings [Psalm 148:2-5, Colossians 1:16]. Created before the creation of the universe and before the creation of man [Job 38:7]. They are superior in power and strength than men [2 Peter 2:11]. Although they are endowed with superior intellect and wisdom [2 Samuel 14:17, 20], they are not omnipotent [Psalm 103:20] and not omniscient [1 Peter 1:21]. Like human beings, they were created with volition –freedom and capacity for making free will decision [Jude 6, Genesis 1:31]. The men are equal to them after resurrection to eternal life [Luke 20:34-]. They are to be judged by mature believers of the Church Age [1 Corinthians 6:3]. The elect angels of God in no way will speak or act contrary to God’s will, purpose and God’s Word [Galatians 1:8]. Angels are not sexual beings- therefore they do not marry. Angels appeared in human form but never appeared in sub-human form or in the form of animal [Acts 10:3, 30]. They always appeared as men, never as women or as children, never as infant and they have no wings [Genesis 18:2, 19:1, Hebrews 13:2, Joshua 5:13, Judges 6:21-22]. They appeared fully clothed and never half-naked. There is no recorded appearance of angels in the Bible to unbelievers [Matthew 24:37-39]. In some occasion, they appeared with awesome appearance in clothing or countenance [Judges 13:6, Luke 24:4, Daniel 10:5-6, 18]. OTHER TERMS FOR ANGELS: SONS OF GOD [Job 38:7] – a phrase prior to angelic rebellion was applied generally to all angels of lower rank, but became exclusively designated for demons after the angelic revolt [Genesis 6:2-4, Job 1:6]. Angels of God are also called HEAVENLY BEINGS –referring to all ranks [Psalm 29:1, 89:61] or HOLY ONES [Psalm 89:5-7] or HEAVENLY HOSTS [Luke 2:13] or HOSTS OF ARMIES [1 Samuel 1:11] and HOLY MYRIADS [Jude 14]. They are called HOLY ANGELS or ANGELS OF GOD [Luke 9:26, 12:8] or GOD’S ANGELS [Hebrews 1:6, Psalm 103:20] and others. DISTRIBUTION OF WORK: Some angels announced beforehand the birth of some of God’s select servants [Genesis 18:9-, Judges 13:2-24, Luke 1:13 and 2:8-15]. Certain angels on some occasions forewarned the righteous of imminent danger or threatening disaster, destruction or calamity [Genesis 18:16-19, Matthew 2:13, Daniel 8:1. Certain angels guided and instructed some righteous believers when the Canon of the Scripture was completed [Acts 7:38, 8:26, Galatians 3:19]. Certain angels’ interpreted dreams and visions for some select servants of God [Zechariah 1:9, Daniel 7:16, Revelation 17:7]. Angels destroyed the enemies of God’s people and in some occasion defended them [Exodus 12:23, 29]. Angels are sentry guards over believers, client nation and local spiritual churches [Psalm 34:7, 91:11, Matthew 18:10]. They are watchers over the universal Church of Christ [Revelation 1:20]. They are the ministering Spirits to the Church Age believers under the undeserved sufferings. They assists in the divine judgment of unbelievers and divine discipline of the carnal and reversionistic believers [Rev. 18; 1, Mark 13:27]. They praise God continually in the past, present, and future [Revelation 19:1-3]. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE RESULT OF ANGELIC CONFLICT In the eternity past –outside time reference of human history-before the creation of our very own planet earth, the angelic host revolted against God. This rebellion was lead by Lucifer –one of the archangels assigned to protect the throne of God. This great warfare began when Lucifer challenged divine authority and persuaded 1/3 of the angels to revolt against God [Isaiah 14:13-14, Ezekiel 28:12-15]. Human history is both the extension and resolution of the angelic conflict. Humanity was created to duplicate the conditions of the prehistoric revolt of the angels. Like the angelic beings, human beings are endowed with free will volition, and that free will would be tested to see whether man would choose for or against God. Satan himself instigated the events that led to man’s fall. Adam followed the same pattern of arrogance, which initiated the angelic rebellion. Satan was present when God announced Genesis 3:15: “And I (God) will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman and between your seed (unsaved humanity) and her seed (the virgin born Messiah), He (the Seed-Jesus Christ) shall bruise you on the head (Satan’s final doom) and you (Satan) shall bruise Him (Jesus Christ) on the heel (His spiritual death on the cross).” The arrival of the Savior would settle the angelic conflict in God’s favor. To prevent God’s plan for unfolding, Satan designed a series of counter strategy beginning from murder of Abel ending with the God revolution at the end of the millennial kingdom. Angelic convocations are held periodically in heaven to consider historical trends [Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7, Zechariah 3:1-7]. Man is the subject for close scrutiny by both elect and fallen angels on earth and in heaven [1 Corinthians 4:5]. There are two major players that greatly influence human history: The Lord Jesus Christ as the One who controls human history and the One having the sovereign power to over-rule the machinations of Satan [Psalm 33:10-19, 135:5-6] and the preservation of mankind. Satan interferes and intervenes with Christ who controls human history. As the author of evil in the cosmos diabolicus, Satan is ever trying to eradicate the Jews in the most devious manner. Never has one race been the target of such animosity and terrible persecutions. Nevertheless, the Jews have survived their evil tormentors. Every Jew is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Satan is the assumed ruler and god of this world who can accomplish only what God may permit, therefore any attack against God or His people can never fully succeed apart from God’s permission. Man is the witness against Satan. Man is not the subject of conflict between God and Satan but the evidence of God’s sovereignty and plan of grace. There is no power struggle between God and Satan because God is omnipotent and Satan is not. God is sovereign Satan is not. Power struggle is between opposing party with equal strength not between an inferior and superior rivals. Man is not in the crossfire between two rival forces but God’s exhibit number one –an evidence of God’s perfect righteousness and perfect justice against Satan’s evil, corrupted and imperfect nature. We are part of the human history inside the God’s decree for the human race as God’s evidence of perfect plan of grace. God is proving Satan’s imperfection there is no need to prove His perfection. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries CHRERUBIM & SEPRAPHIM Cherubim and seraphim are angelic ranks superior to angels, may be similar to that of chief angels or archangels but greater when it comes to function. The meaning of the Hebrew term cherubim and seraphim are not only questionable but also uncertain. Our limited and problematic Biblical information are from two sources: First, in the artistic representation or interpretation of Hebrew artists in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple Second, in the visions of Ezekiel (for cherubs) and the visions of Isaiah for the seraphs Angels appeared to men in human forms, but no one had actually seen a cherubim or a seraph personally except in visions or dreams. We cannot rely on the artists’ concepts and not in the visions of Ezekiel and Isaiah because their descriptions are more of figurative rather than literal. Angels appeared to men without wings, while in visions both the cherubim and seraphim appeared with wings. The Bible used the term angels for angels and the term cherubim for cherubim and the term seraphim for seraphim. Generally the appearance of the cherubs was like that of man [Ezekiel 1:5], they have two faces [41:18] or four faces [1:6,10, 10:14, 21-22], four or two wings [1:6,11, 1 Kings 6:24], under their wings they had human hands [1:8, 10:8,21], their legs were straight not capable of bending. Their feet were like the sole of calf’s foot [1:7], as for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man, all four had the face of a lion, on the right the face of a bull, on the left, all the four heads had the face of an eagle [1:11]. Such descriptions are not literal and physical but figuratively. The cherubs have three revealed important functions: First, they served and are serving as guardians or sentry guards in God’s vital and important installations like the Garden of Eden [Genesis 3:24]. Second, some of their work are related and are associated with fire. From flaming sword [Genesis 3:24] to stone of fire (which symbolized the presence of God) [Ezekiel 28:14-16], to special wing of lighting bolts (Ezekiel 1:4, 13, 27-28) and burning coal [Ezekiel 10:2, 6-7]. Third, they were bearers of God’s throne-chariot. God was characterized as one who sits between two cherubs [2 Kings 19:15, 1 Chronicles 13:6, Psalm 99:1, Isaiah 37:16, Exodus 25:22]. God was represented by the cloud of glory upon two cherubs of the Ark of Covenant. God sat on the outstretched wings of the cherubs called the chariot. The wings power of the cherubs made the throne-chariot “airborne” and moved in any direction without turning [Ezekiel 1:16-17, 21, 10:11-17]. The cherubs driven throne-chariot was seen as the storm cloud [Ezekiel 1:4]. God was pictured as riding on flying cherubs [2 Samuel 22:11, Psalm 18:10]. In the Ark of Covenant, cherubs are the ideal representatives of the redeemed animate creation. Their presence in the Ark of Covenant signifies that the prospect of the redeemed and glorified creatures was bound up with the sacrifice of Christ. Cherubs represented redeemed human beings in permanent union with Christ. This union was figurative, proceeding out of the mercy seat. This union is the manifestation of our eternal, and permanent union with the Lord Jesus. The faces of the cherubs were set toward the mercy seat –suggesting a consciousness of the means whereby union with Christ has been produced. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE HUMAN HISTORY IN THE ANGELIC CONFLICT There are two types of angels: the elect they are forever servants of God and the fallen the forever enemies of God. There are two kinds of history: angelic and human history. Long before the human history Satan revolted against God and was able to allured one third of the angelic host [Isaiah 14:13-14]. Satan and his demons were brought to trial, charged, convicted and were sentenced to the Lake of Fire [Ezekiel 28:16-18, Matthew 25:41]. However, his execution was postponed until the end of human history [Revelation 20:10]. Satan objected to God’s verdict just as he continues to contend against God during the human history. Satan a term that means “adversary” implies one who contends against authority, one who appeals, an attorney who continually objects to perfect divine judgment and God’s perfect character. Because of God’s perfect justice, God convened an appeal trial in which He would demonstrate His perfect disposition [Psalm 145:21, Zechariah 3:1-10, Luke 2:14, Romans 9:23, 11:25-36], while allowing Satan every opportunity to prove his own case [Job 1:12, 2:6, Matthew 4:1-11]. The existence of man on the face of the earth is divine evidence of God’s perfect plan of grace. God magnificently answers every aspect of Satan’s objection in the pre-historic trial for the benefits of man and elect angels. While at the same time, Satan is attempting to prove he is equal with God but his arrogance, incompetence, and evil will confirm his guilt. Human history is the appeal trial of the angelic conflict where the numerous and diverse aspect of God’s perfect wisdom were revealed through the Church, to the rulers and through the authorities (fallen angels in the heavenly places [Ephesians 3:10, 6:12]. The angelic conflict began from the moment of the satanic rebellion in the eternity past and will terminate at the end of human history and (at the end of millennial kingdom) and execution of the verdict against Satan. During the course of the angelic conflict, Satan applies the “good and evil” scheming. His works are good in the eyes of men and demons but evil in the eyes of God. Satan is a professional deceiver, destroyer, accuser and murderer who work from a solid motivation of arrogance complex. He is working hard in an attempt to justify himself before God, while at the same time trying to put himself equal with God. The entire human history is God’s evidence of His perfection and sovereignty, but Satan is using it as an evidence of his arrogance and greed. The human history is human wisdom in action, which is contrary to acceptance and perception of God’s Word. The evil of Satan is mixed-up convictions –opposing each other in every direction and perspective. Man is creating his own story this we call history. There are two types of human history: First, those that oppose and reject God and His plan of grace for man but accepts human viewpoint for solving human problems. Second, those that accept divine viewpoint and God’s plan of grace. Human history is therefore the action and decision of the human volition. Human volition is running ahead of God, walking away from God, walking without God or walking with God –doing His purpose and desires. Human history includes what God causes directly to happen and what God allows to happen coming from human volition. God is protecting man from self-destruction by not allowing every human desire to materialize inside the cosmic system. Christ is the center of human history not man. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF HUMAN HISTORY The center of human history (geographically speaking) is the nation of Israel because the Jews are the apples of the eye of God. However, Christ is the center of human history. Remove Jesus Christ and nothing is left to man. With a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is the summing up of all things in Christ, things in heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance having predestined according to His purpose that works all things after the counsel of His will [Ephesians 1:10-11]. The material things of the world are not the concern of God. He created the earth and all the things in it for the benefit of man. God is not the benefactor of the creation. The phrase ALL THINGS IN CHRIST refers to exclusive members of the human race that is, the believers in time and in eternity. The material creation is not important to God as much as the souls of men. God send His Son to die for men not for material things of the world. And He put all things subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all [Ephesians 1:22]. All the souls of all men (whether you like it or not) are under the absolute sovereignty of God. God must be the object of worship because He is the Creator of all things and all creatures. He provided salvation whether you believe or reject Him as Savior of your soul. He is the only Savior. The meaning of life is Jesus Christ not the success in the world. The real success is doing the purpose and will of God not material prosperity or riches gained by human genius. Therefore, there is no real success without Christ in your life. Because Christ is the Creator and He created all things, both in the heavens and on earth [Colossians 1:16], therefore, there is only one reason for the existence of all things- no other than Christ Himself. In the same manner, no seat of power, dominion or any type of rulership, visible or invisible, which is not created through Him and unto Him? Christ is the Head of the visible body of the regenerated people in time called the Church and He is the Head of the spiritual kingdom of God. He alone has the preeminence among the entire human race able not to sin and not able to sin. God created only “One” genuine Church but men created too many churches that lead nobody to heaven. It can lead only to self-destruction. The universality of the Church does not automatically include the membership of the entire human race [Colossians 1:17-18]. There is no means of reconciliation other than the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary [Colossians 1:20]. What you think of Christ is not important and it does not affect in any way the reality of perfect work of God. The perfect plan of salvation is not dependent on human perception or opinion. Everything that comes into being and everything that occurs are decreed by God to happen. No events ever occurred apart from the sovereign will of God. Some things happen because God allows it to happen based on human volition. Some things God directly cause apart from human freewill or contribution. But nothing will ever happen apart from the perfect will of God. During the Great Tribulation, God will lift His restraining power over mankind. Man will experience the worst kind of destruction that results from human volition that went out of control. Human free will that is left to do its desire without restrain will result to chaos and destruction. Human history left to its own is dangerous and fatal. To reject God and His plan of grace is self-destruction. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE OBSERVERS OF HUMAN HISTORY The apostle Paul appears to have taken the expression “powers and principalities” from late Jewish apocalyptic thought, where it was applied to intermediate beings lower than God and higher than man. Apart from passages where the reference is unmistakably to human authorities (Rom. 13:1-3; Titus 3:1), principalities archai and authorities (exousiai) or powers (dynameis refer to cosmic intelligences, occasionally angelic, but usually demonic (Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col. 1:1). Other similar spirit powers are dominions (kyriotetes Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16), thrones (thronoi Col. 1:16), and the rulers archontes) of this age (1 Cor. 2:6). It is not possible on the basis of NT evidence to rank these spirit powers or to attribute distinctive meanings to each. Six acts in the drama of the principalities and powers may be delineated: CREATION: In the creation plan these powers were designed as good spirits. They were created by Christ and subjected to His lordship (Colossians 1:16). THE FALL OF ANGELS: For reasons undisclosed in the NT some spirit powers separated from Christ (Jude 6) in a rupture of cosmic proportions (II Pet. 2:4), necessitating atonement (Col. 1:20). DEFEATED BY CHRIST: In His ministry Jesus resisted satanic temptation (Luke 4:1-13) and conquered evil spirits (Luke 4:35), delegating this power to His disciples (Mark 3:15). In His death he disarmed the forces of evil (Col. 2:14-15). In His resurrection and exaltation He subjected them to his lordship (Eph. 1:20-22; 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:22). Christians are enthroned with Christ and share this victory and ought to live accordingly (Col. 2:20-3:4). LEARNING: The spirit powers, who are not omniscient, learn the manifold wisdom of God, by witnessing the historic experience of the Church (Eph. 3:10). CONTINUING WARFARE: Although defeated and under instruction, the spirit powers have not yet surrendered. The vestiges of their power continue to corrupt the disobedient (Eph. 2:2). The Christian's most powerful and deceitful enemies are still demonic (Eph. 6:12), but God's power is stronger (Eph. 6:10-11) and no evil power will separate the Christian from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39). TOTAL DEFEAT: The days of this warfare are numbered and the outcome certain. With the consummation of the kingdom of God the evil powers will be robbed of all malignant efficacy (1 Cor. 15:24). On His 33 years on earth and up to the cross Jesus Christ, who in His life was not the slave of any power, law, custom, community, institution, value, or theory, destroyed the powers' pretensions to sovereignty, thus making authentic living possible. Principalities and powers are eternal and supernatural beings, because they are confronted by Christ "in the heavenly places" (Eph. 1:20; 3:10; 6:12) and also because the Christian's warfare is specially said to be "not with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers" (Eph. 6:12). To identify the principalities and powers with human or abstract, impersonal forces is probably the result of cultural presuppositions determining exegesis It is possible, however, that Paul intended his reference to thrones, dominions, principalities, and authorities in Col. 1:16 to embrace earthly as well as heavenly powers. The matter invites further research. But for the present time, while allowing that all human systems are wide open to corruption from demonic forces, it is safest to avoid identifying principalities and powers with sociopolitical structures. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE DISPENSATIONS OF HUMAN HISTORY A dispensation is a period of human history defined in terms of divine revelation. The Bible describes it as:
The doctrine of dispensations is the vehicle by which believers living at a specific time can orient to God’s will, plan, and purpose for their lives. God never changes there is no variation or shifting shadow in God [James 1:17]. Change is an integral characteristic of His plan for the entire creation. But God is never impulsive or arbitrary –the changes He incorporates into His plan are designed to attain His unchanging purpose [Hebrews 6: 17]. The doctrine of dispensations recognizes the different mechanics and procedure as well as the continuities that run from one period to the next. The doctrine is essential for understanding the believer’s post salvation experience. Knowledge of dispensations enables the believer to handle the Word of truth accurately. The Greek words for dispensation used about twenty times in the NT, mean "to manage, regulate, administer, and plan the affairs of a household." This concept of human stewardship is illustrated in Luke 16:1-2, where the ideas of responsibility, accountability, and the possibility of change are detailed. In other occurrences (Ephesians1: 10; 3:2, 9; Colossians 1:25) the idea of divine stewardship is prominent an administration or plan being accomplished by God in this world. Dispensations refer to God’s administration of or plan for the world, it describes the unfolding of that program in various dispensations, or stewardship arrangements, throughout the history of the world. The world is seen as a household administered by God in connection with several stages of revelation that mark off the different economies in the outworking of his total program. Thus from God's viewpoint a dispensation is an economy; from man's it is a responsibility to the particular revelation given at a particular time. In relation to progressive revelation, a dispensation is a stage within it. Thus a dispensation may be defined as "a distinguishable economy in the outworking of God's program." God did not reveal all truth at one time but through various periods and stages of revelation. This principle of progressive revelation is evident in the Scriptures themselves. Paul told his audience on Mars Hill that in a former time God overlook their ignorance, but now commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). The majestic opening of the book of Hebrews outlines the various means of progressive revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2). One of the most striking verses that show different ways of God's dealing with mankind is John 1:17. The concept of progressive revelation does not negate the unity of the Bible but recognizes the diversity of God's unfolding revelation as essential to the unity of His completed revelation. Any study of the Bible must deal with the distinction between the era of Israel and the Church –this is the starting point in the doctrine of the dispensations. Jesus Christ is the key to the divine interpretation of history. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE REASON FOR DISPENSATIONS Since Jesus Christ is the center of human history He is also the key for understanding human history [Ephesians 3:10-11, Rev. 1:8]. The doctrine of the dispensations spotlights Him He is the center of the six human dispensations. The knowledge of the doctrine of dispensations prevents the horrid mistake of twisting biblical truth and it provides basis for correct interpretation of the Word of God. Many principles, policies and procedures that God established remain constant throughout history. The believer cannot overlook certain changes that distinguish one era of biblical history from another. The very reason for the change of divine policies and operation for human history must be defined since God reveal His unchanging glory, wisdom, and power under different conditions. From God’s eternal perspective the ultimate in this long and varied demonstration of His character is the relationship between Christ and the Church, in which the believer is in eternal union with Christ [Ephesians 1:17-23 3:10, 21]. The only explanation for this multifaceted divine revelation that unfolds throughout human history lies in the angelic revolt. Satan and the host of angels who joined his rebellion were brought to trial and convicted and were sentenced to the Lake of Fire. The sentence of the fallen angels to eternal Lake of Fire was pronounced long before mankind existed but the execution was postponed until the end of human history [Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:10]. The reason for the postponement of execution of the sentence was because Satan objected to God’s perfect verdict. Satan appealed for re-trial, just as he continues to contend against God. Any objection to perfect divine judgment slanders the character of God. God convened an appeal trial in which He would demonstrate His perfect character and perfect verdict against Satan. The divine reason for the creation of mankind is to resolve the angelic conflict. God will answer every aspect of Satan’s objection in the pre-historic trial. Simultaneously, Satan is attempting to prove himself equal with God (Isaiah 14:14), but the devil displays only arrogance, incompetence, and evil, which confirms his guilt. Human history is the appeal trial of the angelic conflict. The numerous and diverse aspects of God’s wisdom are revealed through mankind, and most dramatically through the Church to the rulers and the authorities (fallen angels) in the heavenly places [Ephesians 3:10, 6:12]. In every segment of the appeal trial of Satan, the grace of God and the perfect justice of God are proven again and again. God introduces changes into His administration of human history in order to present His perfect plan of grace, disprove Satan’s case, and deliver a decisive closing argument. These changes produce the dispensations. God created only one doctrine of dispensation while various cultic religions fabricated their own versions of dispensations based on human viewpoint and not based on biblical truth. In this book, we refer only to one doctrine of dispensation and that is the biblical doctrine of dispensations. Dispensation is God’s perfect design for human history a stage where He manifests time after time His gracious acts for the benefits of man. The primary purpose and design of dispensation is for God to reveal progressively His gracious plan for man, while men are getting worst but God remains perfect and just. Dispensation is a reality and there is no way to get rid of it. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries TIMES AND EPOCHS The Greek word translated “times” is “chronos”while for epochs the word is “kairos”.Chronos regards time as succession of events –one following after the other in chronological order. In some occasion, the bible used “chronos” for a segment of time with a dispensational connotation [Romans 16:25, 1 Peter 1:20]. In contrast, “kairos”denotes an era, a system or order of chronology, a period of time characterized by a distinctive development. This noun is always for the organization of historical events in their dispensational categories. In various passages kairos refers to Church Age [Romans 8:18], the Jewish age or Israel [Ephesians 2:1-12] or times of the Gentiles, which is not a single dispensation but a broader period that includes the Church Age and Tribulation [Luke 21:24]. The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples about “the times and epochs” and had taught them at length concerning dispensations. They were not ignorant of dispensational doctrines as others may presume based on the disciples question in Acts 1:6-7. They were familiar with dispensation [Matthew 23:27-25:46, John chapter 14 up to 17]. It was our Lord’s extensive dispensational teaching that prompted their questions [Acts 1:6-7, Matthew 5:17, 24:3]. The disciples did not doubt the existence and reality of dispensation, but their idea of the kingdom of God was distorted by two religious sentiments. First was the anti-Romans and secondly, the popular Jewish distorted belief. The primary barrier and the number one anti-biblical dispensation truth are the religious doctrines. If the biblical dispensation is truth, then, all the religious doctrines must be heretical lies. The doctrine of dispensations explains why the disciples were perplexed.“ And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel”. He said to them, “It is not for you to know times and epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” [Acts 1:6-7] The disciples were living in a period of earth-shattering events and they failed to notice the end of Christ’s ministry to Israel and the beginning of His ministry to the approaching Church. Like some Church Age believers, they confused different period of time (dispensations) with their own time. They failed to understand God’s purpose for their lives in the current age [Colossians 2:16-3:3]. The arrival of the Church Age enabled the Disciples of Christ to understand the times and epochs [Acts 1:8]. The Church Age believer has a more complete perspective than Christ’s disciples had while He lived in their presence. The Lord ascended into heaven and left His disciples confused with the doctrine of dispensations. The apostle Paul became the chief advocate of the dispensational teaching although he was still an unbeliever at the time of Christ’s ascension [Galatians 2:1-, 2 Peter 3:1-16]. Twenty-one years after Christ’s ascension Paul gave orientation to believers in Thessalonica concerning dispensational doctrines: “Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourself know full well that the day of the Lord (His second advent) will come just like a thief in the night...But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief [1 Thessalonians 5:4]. Ignorance of this doctrine makes the believer confused about God’s plan and purpose. To know this doctrine makes the believer alert and attentive to the plan and purpose of God for his life. J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries AGES AND ADMINISTRATION Two more Greek words for dispensations: the noun aion and oikonomia in addition to chronos and kairos. The noun aion usually translated “age” refers to dispensations as categories of human history [Romans 16:17, Ephesians 3:9]. Oikonomia had come to mean the management of a household; it implies order not chaos, a plan rather than confusion, an arrangement rather than disarray. Oikonomia does not denote time but described a divine administration during a distinct historical era [[1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians 1:8-10, 3:2-3, 8-9, 1 Timothy 1:3-4]. Oikonomia identifies the Church Age, during which God administers a set of divine policies and provisions unique only to the Church Age. Administration becomes an important issue in distinguishing the dispensations from one another. At decisive junctures in His overall plan for mankind- God institutes changes in delegated authority, responsibility, procedure, and available assets. These changes in the divine administration of human history involved first one group of people, then another, and another. The categorization for the dispensation is derived from the people at the focus of divine revelation in a specific period of time. In the course of human history, this focus passes from several benefactors:
Each administration involves new divine mandates accompanied by new divine resources for fulfilling those mandates. As a result, the post-salvation way of life of believers is significantly different in various eras of human history. Scripture reveals the believer’s way of life most comprehensively in the dispensations of Israel and the Church the details of which disclosed and confirmed the principle of change against a background of continuity. The doctrine of dispensations is not biased and arbitrary classification superimposed by man on the Bible. They are an integral part of divine revelation. The Greek vocabulary establishes that the subject of dispensations is presented in the Scripture. The Lord Jesus Christ is the number one exponent of the doctrine of dispensations He affirmed the existence of distinct times and epochs which God the Father has fixed by His own authority. To reject the doctrine of the dispensations is to reject the perfection of Christ who taught it but widely misunderstood by His disciples. His disciples missed the beauty of the doctrine because of their racial prejudice and religious sentiments. In the same way, some Christians of the Church Age are missing the truth of the doctrine because of their ignorance and faithfulness to their religious leaders. They accept the teaching of their leaders without further investigation or examination [Acts 17:11]. To accept the teaching of any preacher or pastor without further examination of their basis in Bible is fatal. A couple of supporting verses is not enough to form a doctrine or a teaching. A doctrine must agree with the entire body of biblical doctrine. Do not accept a teaching without a clear and concrete foundation in the Word of God. Is the doctrine applicable for us in the Church Age or for believers in the past dispensations? Is the doctrine for our era or dispensation or for another dispensation? J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries THE SIX DISPENSATIONS Human history may be classified into six dispensations. These six can be grouped into three categories of two dispensations each. The Theocentric (or the pre-Incarnation era) dispensations are the Age of the Gentiles and the Age of Israel, which occurred “long ago” before God had spoken to us in His Son [Hebrews 1:1-2]. The Christocentricdispensations begin with the first advent of Christ (also called the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union) and continue with the Church Age, which is the present dispensation. The Church carries out to completion the precedent established in our Lord’s first advent. The Eschatological dispensations are the Biblical prophecies and promises for the end of history compose of the Tribulation period and the Millennium kingdom. There are six major dispensations because God’s unified, integrated, unchanging plan for human history calls for many expressions of His grace. In every dispensation God has a particular plan for the believer’s post-salvation way of life. God graciously provides the means for executing that plan, and the Bible reveals these various provisions. Salvation however, is appropriated in only one way throughout the human history, which is by grace through faith [Genesis 15:6, Acts 16:31, Romans 3:22, 30, Ephesians 2:8-9]. In every dispensation, there is only ONE Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, as He is revealed in that dispensation [John 14:6]. Faith in Christ secures an eternal relationship with God. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved “ [Acts 4:12].God remains the same. The way of salvation remains unchanged. But against a background of immutability and continuity, the doctrine of the mystery reveals the strategic changes that make these new dispensations unique. Church Age believers are a new spiritual species [2 Corinthians 5:17] with a totally new position in Christ [Romans 8:38-39, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30] and a magnificent array of privileges, responsibilities, and opportunities never available to believers of earlier ages [Ephesians 1:3-14]. Divine administration becomes an important issue in distinguishing the dispensations from one another. At decisive junctures in His overall plan for mankind, God institutes changes in delegated authority, responsibility, procedure and available assets. These changes in the divine administration of human history involve first one group of people, then another, and another. JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries
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Copyright ©2003-2007 J. R. Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries |
12/03/06